This is Beirut 22:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
An International Monetary Fund delegation visited Lebanon, including a meeting with U.S. Ambassador Michel Issa on Friday. The visit comes as Lebanon seeks to advance financial restructuring measures required for an IMF-backed program. Since the U.S. has significant leverage within the IMF, Ambassador Issa’s presence to discuss economic ...
This is Beirut 22:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with his Syrian counterpart Asaad al-Shaibani on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Friday and they discussed Damascus's recent agreement with the Kurds. A post by the Syrian foreign ministry included pictures showing that the head of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum Abdi, ...
This is Beirut 19:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Lebanon Hezbollah Damascus Israel Tehran
Despite mounting pressure on Hezbollah’s smuggling networks and Iran’s deepening financial crisis, trade flows between Tehran and Beirut surged in 2025, suggesting the two are adapting illicit channels to sustain Hezbollah’s parallel economy. Hezbollah's position has weakened since 2024 and Iran's financial crisis has ...
This is Beirut 18:10 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
A delegation from the Lebanese Forces party visited Damascus to meet with Syrian officials on Tuesday, Lebanese officials confirmed. The LF leader Samir Geagea and the Minister of Telecommunications Charles al-Hajj briefed President Joseph Aoun on the visit, wanting to emphasize that Syria and Lebanon have entered a new chapter in their ...
This is Beirut 15:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Damascus Europe United States USA Washington
The United States Central Command said on Friday it had completed the transfer of thousands of detained Islamic State group suspects held in Syria to Iraq. The detainees had been held in Syria for years in camps overseen by Kurdish-led forces, but the recapture of surrounding territory by Damascus prompted Washington to step in. CENTCOM said it ...
This is Beirut 13:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Donald Trump Palestine Benjamin Netanyahu Hamas USA
President Donald Trump is set to launch a multi-billion-dollar initiative to rebuild Gaza and deploy a U.N.-authorized stabilization force, according to a report by Reuters citing senior U.S. officials. The announcement will take place at the inaugural meeting of Trump’s Board of Peace next week. The officials said the fund for Gaza will ...
This is Beirut 13:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Israel United States USA Iran Protest
The Iranian government announced on Friday the establishment of a commission of enquiry to look into protests against the high cost of living that turned into anti-government rallies that left thousands dead. "A fact-finding committee has been formed with representatives from relevant institutions and is collecting documents and hearing ...
This is Beirut 11:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu Middle East New York Tehran
Despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s push to keep negotiations with Iran alive in hopes of securing a deal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly preparing a contingency “Plan B” should the talks collapse. Israeli sources reported that the Israeli army has prepared offensive plans in anticipation of a ...
This is Beirut 09:45 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Iranian authorities released the leader of the country's reformist coalition on bail Friday, days after she was arrested following anti-government protests, local media reported. Azar Mansouri, head of the Reformist Front, "was released from prison a few minutes ago after posting bail", her lawyer Hojjat Kermani told the ISNA news ...
This is Beirut 12/02 23:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Syria United States White House al-Tanf Jordan
In an exclusive statement given to This is Beirut, a senior official in the White House elaborated on their transfer of troops from al-Tanf in Syria to Jordan. The official said, “the redeployment of U.S. troops from the al-Tanf position in Syria to Jordan was carried out following a comprehensive operational ...
This is Beirut 12/02 22:50 - Reading : less than a minute
The IDF carried out an airstrike targeting a Hezbollah operative near al-Tayri in southern Lebanon on Thursday evening, the Israeli army’s Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee announced on X. The attack hit a car with three missiles and killed one person. This strike follows a series of attacks along the Lebanon-Israel border ...
This is Beirut 12/02 22:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Lebanon Syria Hezbollah Border
The Lebanese army has stated it will crack down on illegal border crossings along its boundary with Syria on Thursday, as the two countries work towards addressing their porous border and the illicit networks operating across it. Crossings in the northern Beqaa Valley are a primary focus of the army’s efforts to increase monitoring of the ...